Remembering the 1950s
When the 1950s started, Murphy Center was only 10 years old, and the institution had only the year before (1949) expanded its curriculum beyond teacher preparation for the first time to include other majors. Here are a few highlights from the decade:
1950: The first residence hall for lay students was opened when students moved into St. Catherine’s Hall.
1952: Francesca Zoeller, FSPA, was appointed the third president of Viterbo.
1953: Viterbo offers its first continuing education courses to the general public.
1954: Viterbo’s student newspaper, The Lumen, made its debut, and the Viterbo Alumni Association was organized.
1955: The Viterbo Players put on their first theatre production, opening with Christmas on the Village Square.
1957: The first campus residence hall is dedicated and named Marian Hall.
Distinguished Alumni Award Winners from the 1940s and 1950s
Class of 1942: Jeanice Lohman, FSPA
Class of 1943: Riccarda Moseley, FSPA
Class of 1945: Marie Leon La Croix, FSPA
Class of 1946: Grace McDonald, FSPA
Class of 1947: Louisella Froehle, FSPA; Joyce (Waldenberger) Hagmann, SFSN
Class of 1950: Catherine Daniels
Class of 1951: Rose Rita Collingon, FSPA
Class of 1953: Rose Robacker
Class of 1954: Mary (Maney) Morgan
Class of 1955: Theresa Myers-McHenry; Paula (Ripple) Comin
Class of 1956: Cyrilla Barr; Lois (Liston) Durall; Kathryn (Sullivan) Larson; Marcella Steffes, FSPA
Class of 1957: Marie Kyle, FSPA
Class of 1958: Nancy Lafferty
Class of 1959: Rev. Diana M. (Thompson) Gorgos, SFSN; Janet Linderbaum; Joyce Bantle, FSPA
Alumni Plaza Supporters
Class of 1946: Ruth (Bailey) Eirschele
Class of 1947: Martha (Kuster) Bauch, Muriel (Gasper) Doll, Velma (King) Luehne, Dollie Newlun, and Elizabeth (Bette) Theisen
Class of 1950: Winifred (Corey) McGuire, SFSN
Class of 1952: Coleen (Vogel) Deck, SFSN
Class of 1959: Donna (Corcoran) Fischbach, SFSN
Class of 1957: June (Liu) Chen and Norita (Lampert) Miller, SFSN
Class of 1958: Rose (Steinmetz) Bingham, Erna (Kelzer) Gallagher and Sally (Gautsch) Micek
Class of 1959: Elizabeth (Knop) Keefe, Mary Moen, SFSN, Juanita (Thorson) Vaaler, Rosemary Walsh, and Carol (Ableidinger) Welsh, SFSN
